A Sicilian passenger travelling to Malta on the catamaran last Monday was today fined and forced to forfeit almost €13,000 in favour of the public coffers after being found in possession of a substantial amount of undeclared cash.

Modica-born Enrico Borrometi, 40, was stopped by customs officials at the Valletta Deep Water Quay after getting off the MV Jean De La Vallette last Sunday shortly before midnight.

Driving his grey sports Range Rover, the passenger was taken aside by customs officials to have his vehicle scanned.

Asked whether he was carrying any cash, the man replied that he had €9,000 in hand but later handed over €6,500. Their suspicion aroused by the fact that the figures did not tally, the officers demanded an explanation.

At that point, the man took out a second wad of cash notes amounting to €8,500. Rather than quell the officers’ suspicions, this second bundle only served to spike their misgivings even further.

Upon being informed that he would have to undergo a personal search, the traveller issued the third and final wad, bringing the total amount of cash to €22,990, €12,990 in excess of the allowance in terms of law.

The man was today arraigned under arrest and charged with having breached Cash Control Regulations.

Two enforcement officers from the Customs Department took the witness stand to shed light upon the circumstances of the arrest. One of them, after identifying the accused in court, presented the amount of €12,900 which was to be confiscated by the state.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, assisting the accused, declared that his client was a genuine entrepreneur who for the past four months has been operating a start-up business in Malta. The money found upon his person was of lawful origin.

In fact, the sum had been purposely withdrawn from an Italian bank account so as to make good for wages payable to the accused's employees.

“Yet the law speaks clearly,” the lawyer conceded, pointing out that any sum in excess of €10,000 was to be declared at customs.

The court, presided over by magistrate Joseph Mifsud, upon the accused's own admission declared him guilty and fined him €5,747.50 payable within three years, so as not to create unnecessary hardship for the accused who had to pay both employees and suppliers.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of €12,990 in favour of the state.

Inspector Doriette Cuschieri prosecuted. Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi was defence counsel.